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RETIREDFAN1

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  1. 2 Samuel 1 English Standard Version David Hears of Saul's Death 1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.” 11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord's anointed.’” David's Lament for Saul and Jonathan 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it[a] should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar.[b] He said: 19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings![c] For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. 24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! “Jonathan lies slain on your high places. 26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. 27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!” Footnotes 2 Samuel 1:18 Septuagint; Hebrew the Bow, which may be the name of the lament's tune 2 Samuel 1:18 Or of the upright 2 Samuel 1:21 Septuagint firstfruits so
  2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES CONFIRM THE STANDING STONE OF JOSHUA AND THE TEMPLE OF BAAL-BERITH AT SHECHEM After the Exodus at a critical time in Israel's history, Joshua 24 records that Joshua and all the tribes of Israel renewed the covenant with God at Shechem so that they would "serve the Lord God and Him only." According to verses 25-27: "...Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, 'Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.' Later, the book of Judges recounts the circumstances at Shechem after Gideon's passing. Upon Gideon's death, the Israelites resumed their idolatrous practices, worshiping the Baals. They appointed Baal-Berith as their god. (Judges 8:33) The Hebrew term Baal-berith is rendered as "Lord of the Covenant" or "Baal of the Covenant". The inhabitants of Shechem had perverted the covenant witness stone erected by Joshua into a false god and built a temple dedicated to Baal-Berith before it. Abimelech, the son of Gideon and his concubine from Shechem, persuaded his maternal clan to aid him in overthrowing his family and proclaiming himself king. The leaders of Shechem provided him with seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to murder all but one of his seventy brothers. According to Judges 9:6, the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo united to crown Abimelech king by the oak pillar in Shechem. Notably, Joshua had previously erected a large stone under this oak tree in Shechem, as recorded in Joshua 24:26. One hundred years after Joshua's establishment of the standing stone, Abimelech was proclaimed king in front of it. God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, in retribution for Abimelech's murder of Gideon's 70 sons. Consequently, Shechem's leaders betrayed Abimelech. Abimelech later exacted revenge by destroying Shechem, killing its inhabitants, and desecrating the ground with salt. Furthermore, Abimelech set fire to the temple of Baal-Berith, killing 1,000 leaders who sought refuge there. Thus, the curse of Jotham, the sole surviving son of Gideon, was fulfilled in the downfall of Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. In 1903, German archaeologists Hermann Thiersch and G. Holscher discovered the remnants of Shechem, later identified as Tell Balatah, Israel. Archaeological excavations at Shechem uncovered a large fractured standing stone, widely believed by archaeologists to be the stone erected by Joshua, as described in the Bible. According to biblical accounts, Joshua established the standing stone as a testament to the covenant between the Israelites and God. Although broken, the standing stone stands at 6 feet high. Additionally, two temple bases were unearthed, potentially framing the temple entrance. Archaeologists at Shechem also discovered a temple near the standing stone, believed to be the Temple of Baal-Bereth. The Temple of Baal-berith in Shechem measured 70 feet by 86.3 feet (21.2 meters by 26.3 meters). The standing stone in Shechem has been dated to 1200 B.C., corresponding to the era of Joshua. Shechem's other archaeological discoveries are consistent with the Biblical narrative, showing that the site was abandoned after its destruction in the mid-12th century B.C. This finding aligns with the biblical chronology of Abimelech's destruction of Shechem, including its temple and standing stone. While the entire city was not destroyed, the Bible specifically mentions Abimelech burning Shechem's temple, a fact supported by archaeological excavations led by American archaeologist G. Ernest Wright, which uncovered evidence of burning within the temple's inner chamber. The discovery of Joshua's Standing Stone and the temple of Baal-Berith at Shechem serves as a testament to the historical accuracy of the Bible.
  3. ARCHEOLOGIST DISCOVER THE NAME “GOLIATH” INSCRIBED ON POTTERY SHARD, IN GATH!! In 2017, a team of archaeologists excavating the Biblical home of Goliath in Gath discovered a pottery shard featuring an inscription of the Philistine's name, a discovery that they asserted provides historical validation to the biblical narrative of David's battle with the giant. The name Goliath comes from the Hebrew word galyut, which means "exile" or "captivity". Dating back to around 950 B.C., the shard falls within a 70-year time frame of the biblical story of David and Goliath, making it the oldest known Philistine inscription. The discovery was made at Tel es-Safi, an archaeological site in southern Israel, believed to be the site of the ancient Philistine city of Gath. Although the finding does not provide irrefutable proof of Goliath's existence, it does corroborate the biblical account.
  4. 1 Samuel 31 English Standard Version The Death of Saul 31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them. 8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
  5. The Ice Age Descendants of Shem... Most of us have living memories of our ancestors going back 3-4 generations. For instance, I had the opportunity to know my own great-grandfather for a few years when I was a boy. He was born in the late 1800s. I have living memories of him. However, the only way I could possibly know anything about HIS ancestors who lived in earlier generations comes from genealogical research, family folklore and history books. I know from ancestral records, that my mom's people were mostly west-European (Dutch, English, Flemish), and I know from historical records some of the major events that those ancestors would have witnessed. By these same means we can gain a more accurate dating of all the major events of our entire human history. Jesus Christ was born over 2,000 years ago to a young Jewish girl named Mary who was betrothed to a man named Joseph. Jesus' birth was so significant that we divide our calendars according to the year He was born...the transition from B.C. to A.D. Both of Jesus' parents kept meticulous genealogical records of their own ancestors going back to King David (c. 1000 B.C.), to the patriarch of their faith, Abraham (c. 2OOO B.C.). The geneology of Mary, continues all the way back to Noah and the flood (c. 2344 B.C.), and to the Creation of EVERYTHING including our first ancestors, Adam and Eve..."the mother of all the living". (c. 4000 B.C.). The entirety of B.C. human history from the Creation to the birth of Jesus occured within that 4,000-year span. Mary and Joseph also knew their own family history which was faithfully recorded by the writers of the Old Testament of the Bible. We can trust the Biblical record to be ACCURATE and TRUE. The Bible provides us with the most RELIABLE resource we have to establish the dates of ancient historical events. As an example, consider the "Ice Age". When was it? How long did it endure? When did it come to an end? Mary's patriarchal geneology in Luke 3, together with archaeology, historical records, linguistic analysis, genetic research and science, will lead us toward the answers to those questions... 1. When did the Ice Age begin? Only the events of the year-long global flood as recorded in Genesis 6-9 could provide the conditions necessary for an "Ice Age". (For more information on the science refer to: https://answersingenesis.org/environmental-science/ice-age/). Therefore, the Ice Age was a POST FLOOD event, beginning the year AFTER the flood in c. 2343 B.C. according to genealogical records. Jesus was descended from Noah's son, Shem. Every "Semitic" people group living today can trace their roots back to him. The Ice Age intersects with Shem's geneology as recorded in Genesis 10-11...the period of history between the Flood and the birth of Abraham. "Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber (from whom the Hebrews derived their name). The sons of Shem: Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek. Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber. Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. (Genesis 1:21-31) All of these births, representing 6 generations, occured during the Ice Age. We are also given a clue in this text as to WHEN the Tower of Babel was built. Eber named one of his sons "Division" (Hebrew-"Peleg") - "because in his time the earth was divided." "This is the account of Shem’s family line. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters. When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters. (Genesis 11:10-17) As I stated earlier, the Hebrew genealogical records are meticulous. One interesting insight we can gain from the Genesis 11 passage is that all of these named Semites, in the immediate generations after Noah, lived through the ENTIRE Ice Age, from beginning to end, including Shem and his father, Noah. The five generations leading up to the building of Babel, was in the time period from c. 2343 to c. 2245 B.C. (the year Peleg was born.). During these generations, the immediate descendants of Noah migrated from the mountains of Ararat where the Ark landed, down into fertile, southern Mesopotamia ("the plain of Shinar"="Sumer"). That was also 100 years of extreme glaciation around the globe. There was no Persian Gulf in those days (see the map below). The accumulating ice on the continents caused the sea level to drop significantly. 2. So the next question is: Who were the nations, tribes, clans and languages represented by Shem's descendants in the dispersion after Babel? The sons of Shem: * Elam - was the progenitor of the Elamites who were well known in ancient historical accounts. In the Old Elamite period (during the Ice Age), Elam migrated onto the Iranian plateau, centered in Anshan, and in Susa in the Khuzestan lowlands. The glaciation during the Ice Age extended down into some of the passes in the Zagros Mountains and would have impacted their migration from Sumer. * Ashur - was the progenitor of the Assyrians who migrated into northern Mesopotamia and established the city of Ashur on a rise above the banks of the Tigris River. The earliest rulers of Assyria are described as "kings who lived in tents", indicating that they were nomadic tribal chieftains who were the first of Ashur's family to migrate into the region during the Ice Age. Sadly, Asshur was deified by his own people, and worshipped in a temple in the city. The first recognized king of the city-state of Ashur was Puzur-Ashur. His reign began in c. 2025 B.C., just AFTER the Ice Age. * Arphaxad...I believe he was the progenitor of the Akkadian, Chaldean and Hebrew speakers. The most famous of the Ice Age Akkadian kings was "Sargon the Great", who founded the Old Akkadian Empire, which he ruled from his capital, Akkad, and whose empire is thought to have included most of Mesopotamia and parts of Canaanite, Hurrian and Elamite territory. His dynasty endured for only one century, ending with the Gutian invasion just after the Ice Age ended. (The Gutians were a tribe from the Zagros Mountains, that descended from one of Japheth's sons named Madai - the progenitor of the Medes) * Lud - was the progenitor of the Lydians (verified by Herodotus and also mentioned in the Annals of Assurbanipal). During the Ice Age, Lud migrated into Western Anatolia, and established the ancient city of Sardis. Herodotus states in his "Histories" that the Lydians "were the first men whom we know who coined and used gold and silver currency". * Aram - was the progenitor of the Arameans who migrated into the area of modern Syria centered around the city of Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The sons of Aram: * Uz - He migrated to an area near Damascus later called Trachonitus. Job was from the land of Uz. If he pre-dated Abraham and was descended from Aram, then Job would have been alive during the Ice Age. God did ask this question of Job..."From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?" (Job 38:29-30), indicating that Job was well-aware of ice storms, water hard as a stone, and frozen oceans. * Hul - migrated into Armenia according to Josephus. His people may have intermarried with the people descended from Togarmah, a grandson of Japheth, also associated with the Armenians. * Gether - the progenitor of the Bactrians whose homeland was located in the area south of the Oxus River and north of the mountains of the Hindu Kush in modern Afghanistan. The early Greek historian Ctesias, c. 400 BC alleged that the legendary Assyrian king Ninus had defeated a Bactrian king named Oxyartes in c. 2140 BC. Abraham's grandfather, NAHOR, would have been around 13 years old when that battle was fought. * Meshek - the progenitor of the ancient Characenes. Meshek migrated to an ancient port at the head of the Persian Gulf called Charax Spasinu. He would have migrated into this area AFTER the Ice Age was over. * Into Arabia and India... * Eber's son Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. According to Josephus, one or more of the sons of Joktan migrated to the Kabul river in modern Afghanistan which he referred to as an "Indian river, and in part of Asia adjoining to it." That adjoining country could only be the Indus River Valley. I believe the Harappan people who were the first to build cities in India were Joktan's descendants. We also know that some of Joktan's sons populated the Arabian Peninsula during the Ice Age. "These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations." 3. Final Question: When did the Ice Age End? I believe the answer to that question comes from archaeological evidence uncovered in Ur of the Chaldees, the home of Abraham. In 1922, Sir Charles Leonard Woolley, a British archaeologist, led a joint expedition of the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania to Ur. After his deep excavations of the Early Dynastic royal tombs at Ur, Wooley had several test shafts sunk into the underlying soil. One of these was an enormous pit, seventy-five feet by sixty feet and sixty-four feet deep. In this main pit, he encountered a deposit of clean, apparently water-laid soil up to eleven feet thick. Later excavations revealed a flood-stratum at Ur, 400 miles long and 100 miles wide, that had completely covered earlier settlements. Woolley incorrectly assumed that this was evidence of Noah's flood and he was one of the first archaeologists to propose that the flood described in the Book of Genesis was local. However, I believe this flood of mud that overwhelmed the first settlement of Ur was a result of the sudden melting of the ice sheets and glaciers at the end of the Ice Age. Sediment-filled melt water would have rushed down the mountain ranges and quickly flooded the world's rivers. This would have been the time when the mean sea level rose very quickly all around the world. Rising oceans would have closed land bridges and filled in former river valleys like the Persian Gulf. When Ur was rebuilt, after the Ice Age flooding, it was organized as an important port city and trade hub in the ancient world. Nahor, his son Terah, and grandson Abraham, all lived in the rebuilt Ur. Therefore, I would place the end of the Ice Age sometime during Nahor's lifetime (c. 2153-2005 B.C.)
  6. He followed the Mosaic Law perfectly.......
  7. 1 Samuel 30 English Standard Version David's Wives Are Captured 30 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all[a] who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5 David's two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,[b] each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” 9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor. 11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14 We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.” David Defeats the Amalekites 16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,[c] and said, “This is David's spoil.” 21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day. 26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.” 27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, 28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed. Footnotes 1 Samuel 30:2 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and all 1 Samuel 30:6 Compare 22:2 1 Samuel 30:20 The meaning of the Hebrew clause is uncertain
  8. "We examine the impact of four Roman emperors: Nero, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. These four men ruled as the New Testament was still being written, Christians were persecuted, and Jerusalem would be destroyed." https://www.taylorsvillerdchurchofchrist.com/listen-now/sermons/2024/12/22/the-kings-of-rome-part-2
  9. You should watch the Zack Snyder version......it's FAR better than the original release......Steppenwolf only WORKS for the villain....Darkseid......
  10. It is not.....they left the New Testament teachings a LONG time ago......
  11. 1 Samuel 29 English Standard Version The Philistines Reject David 29 Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. 2 As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, 3 the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day.” 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? 5 Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. 7 So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light.” 11 So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
  12. THE SPRING OF ELISHA, JOSHUA’S CURSE REMOVED AND THE WATER HEALED, (THE WATER REMAINS HEALED TO THIS DAY) As Israel entered the land of Canaan, it quickly conquered and destroyed the fortified city of Jericho after God caused its walls to crumble. In Joshua 6:26, Joshua pronounced a curse, stating that anyone who rebuilt the city would suffer the loss of their firstborn and youngest sons. According to 1 Kings 16:34, Hiel, a man who lived during Ahab's time, rebuilt Jericho. However, despite its reconstruction, Jericho continued to be plagued by a curse, and its poor water quality prevented it from thriving. The Bible does not provide exact dates for the rebuilding of Jericho or the beginning of Elisha's ministry, but it is known that Hiel's reconstruction of Jericho occurred sometime during Ahab's 22-year reign. By the time of 2 Kings, Ahab had deceased, and his son Ahaziah had also perished following a two-year reign. Thus, Jericho had been plagued by bad water causing the land to be unfruitful for over two years, or possibly as long as 24 years. In desperation, the elders of Jericho approached a man of God, requesting Elisha's assistance in healing the waters of Jericho. The elders told Elisha that the water is bad and the land is unfruitful. Elisha commanded them to obtain a new bowl containing salt, which he then cast into the water spring, and proclaimed God had healed the water. Elisha had lifted the curse that Joshua had placed on land of Jericho. Although it may seem strange to ask for a new bowl with salt and then put it in bad water to make it clean, but salt played a crucial role in Israelite worship. In Exodus 30:35, salt was part of the mixture for the sacred incense. Leviticus 2:13 directs the use of salt with all grain offerings. In Numbers 18:19, God assigns certain offerings for the priests' livelihood, referring to it as a covenant of salt. A new bowl symbolizes something clean and pure, something that has not been contaminated by something else. The spring water that Elisha healed still exists today and is located in Jericho, also referred to as Ain-es-Sultan or Elisha's Spring. As a vital water source, the spring supported the city of Jericho. The spring's water irrigated the plain of Judea, making Jericho an oasis in the desert north of the Dead Sea. Jericho is only known for having one major spring and most Bible scholars concur this spring is indeed the actual spring of Elisha. Today, the spring's water still remains pure and drinkable for tourists.
  13. 1 Samuel 28 English Standard Version Saul and the Medium of En-dor 28 In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” 2 David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.” 3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.” 8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” 9 The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10 But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. 15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” 16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.” 20 Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21 And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. 22 Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 23 He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25 and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.
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